Discovered in the Wassail Bowl - 13th December - Three of a Kind by Felicity M. Parkinson

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Posting on behalf of f_m_parkinson

(If you're not sure who the characters are, please see the notes at the end.)

Three of a Kind

by
Felicity M. Parkinson

Captain Skellen and his bride-to be sat on the sofa in his quarters checking over the guest list for their forthcoming wedding.

“… and you know how it is,” he was saying. “Families! My mother would be upset if I didn’t invite Aunt Dora –”

“I’ve met your Aunt Dora,” Jenny reminded him.

“- and I couldn’t invite Aunt Dora and leave Gavin off the list. I don’t want to create another cause for bad feeling. There’s enough trouble in our family already.”

Jenny snuggled closer and gave him a quick kiss. “I’m not objecting, Peter darling. I just hope Gavin doesn’t run off with one of the bridesmaids. I’ve met him, too, remember. And from what you’ve told me, he sounds quite capable of doing such a thing.” She turned her attention back to the list. “I don’t know this name,” she pointed her finger at it, “and I thought I’d met most of your friends. Who is he?”

Skellen looked down at the name. “William Bodie?” He smiled. “Ah, the skeleton in the family cupboard. He’s my other cousin.”

“Your other cousin,” Jenny echoed. “Is he Gavin’s brother? How is it I haven’t met him?”

Skellen chuckled. “Gavin’s a one-off. Probably just as well. No, it’s like this – if I can remember the family history properly. My mother’s the eldest of three sisters. Aunt Dora is the youngest, and in between was Aunt Mary, William’s mother.”

“You’ve never mentioned her,” said Jenny, puzzled.

“There’s not much to tell. I believe she married against everybody’s advice, and it didn’t turn out too well.”

“Poor woman. But obviously she had a son – this William. Didn’t you see him at all when you were growing up?” Jenny had sympathy for the unfortunate family.

Skellen shook his head. “Not at all. I think my parents would have nothing to do with her. Probably my mother’s doing. You know how she can be about things! So I never met William when we were children, and then when I was in my teens, I heard from my mother (and god knows how she knew – probably from Dora) that he’d run away from home. Terrific family scandal as far as my mother was concerned. I gather they never caught up with him.”

“Oh how awful. What about his parents?”

“Apparently they were already divorced. And anyway, his mother, my aunt, had died a couple of years before this happened, so I suppose he ran away from his father. As far as I know, he’s dead now too.”

Jenny looked down at the list. “But you must have… um, found William again, for him to be on our guest list.”

( That's the strange thing... )